Window



Feb. 9, 1943. E. H; LUNKEN Erm. 2,310,247

wmnow Filed April e, 1959 8 sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 9, 1943. E. H.| UNKEN fr Al. 2,310,247

- y wINDow I Filed April s. 1939' a sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.;

INVENT OR. EDMUND H. LUNE EN GEORGE A. Jus-r Feb. 9, 1943.

EfH. LUNKEN Erm.

WINDOW Filed April 6, 1939 8 sheeis-sheet s INVENTOR. EDMUND H. I UNKEN FIG. 3

GEORGE: A qu s1 Feb 9 1943. E. LUNKEN E1-AI. 2,310,247

wINDow -Filed April 6. 1939 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 --1045 I A407 /1045 A 5 4 404 106- ,16a 105- 1x4 j fJJ 1g "TH IZ V I 140- l 415 E 8 104 I" paf J/-f ,152 456 J9` T/ f2 .i -417 I I Joy@ ,SQ 154 .9 I 152 I j H a6 I 10a-Q' 50 751 g ...L la@ gI- I I 1 .I -407 1 I I I l 10.2.@ g I I I I INVENTOR. /U 404 EDMUND H. I UNKEN Je! Q40 BY GEORGE A. Jus-r FlGe FIG@ y Feb. 9, 1943.

E. H. LUNKEN ETAL WINDOW l Filed April e, 1959 8 sheets-sheet Vs INVENTOR. EIDMUND H. L LJNKEN GEORGE A. JUST TTORNEY.V

` l Feb. 9, v1943. E. H. .LUNKEN ETAL '2,310,247 l WINDOW Filed April 6, 1939 8 Sheets-Sheet "f INVENTOR. H. L UNKEN A. .lus-1* EDMUND GEORGE XYM f Feb. 9, 1943.

E. H. LUNKEN vx-:TAL

WINDOW 8 shets-sheet 8 Filed April. 6, 1959 FIG. I4

INVENTOR. EDMUND H. LUNKEN GEORGE A JUST Y ATTORNEY.

UNETED Patented Feb. 9, 1943 WINDOW Edmund H. Lunken, Hartsdale, and George A. Just, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignors to Lunken-Just Window Corporation, Scarsdale, N. Y., a cor- STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to window construction and more particularly to a window for use in masonry structures and to a type of window based on Patents Nos. 1,605,598 and 1,845,304, showing a construction wherein the window comprises a single sliding sash which is located outside the spandrel and slides below the floor line.

The type of window herein described is also related in its suspension and operation to the window disclosed in copending application Serial No. 256,430 led February 15, 1939. 'Ihe present Window is, however, particularly adapted for use in masonry constructions and in rigid structures where strength and fire resistive or re proong qualities are required.

The present invention is directed toward a window which may readily be adapted to be arranged in pilaster formation with other similar window where the window unit itself comprises jambs which will engage the stud or jamb of the Window units either above or below and provide an interconnected vertical metal jamb which will allow the sash of one unit to slide on the continuous guides and rails of the adjacent unit.

Heretofore, in sliding windows and also in windows of various kinds, it has been necessary to provide space consuming and expensive weight boxes or other suspension means housing in or adjacent to the window opening and decreasing the effective width of the window opening, and causing expensive operations in the masonry construction,

It has also heretofore been necessary, where sliding windows are desired, to provide a double hung window wherein no more than half the lighted portion of the window might be used for venting at any one time since one vsash always remained in the opening.

Objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide particularly in connection with masonry construction individual window units interconnectable with subjacent and superjacent similar window units, each of said window units also comprising associated therewith every formation necessary for the window itself.

Other objects of this invention are to provide in a window unit of the type described a single sliding sash sliding outside the spandrel and be` low the sill, licor-line or ceiling below, thus arranging for full use of the lighted portion of the window for venting and nevertheless providing for a window sill of normal height above floor level.

Other objects of this invention are to so support the sliding sash as to dispense with the necessity for weights and weight boxes or other complicated space consuming balancing means.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a positive drive for the window `sash. to facilitate the lowering and raising thereof.

Other objects of this invention are to provide intermediate units or transoms as means .which may be selectively inserted between vertically adjacent window units for the purpose of allowing for differences in story heights or to provide additional guides or rails as means for lowering a larger sash below a normally high sill.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide guards or protection for the window opening, the said guards or protection being automatically set in place upon the opening of the window.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent in the following description and in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of the outside of a corner of a building showing certain of our window units in place therein.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view in perspective taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View in perspective taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation of one of our window units incorporating a guard.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to that of Figure 5 but showing a transom interposed between the vertically adjacent window units.

Figure 7 is a detail of the transom construction shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 5.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line lll-I0 of Figure 5.

Figure 11 is a front elevational View of one of our window units showing a construction not requiring the guard means.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional. View taken along the line |2-I2 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional View in perspective corresponding to the cross-sectional view o-f Figure 7 and showing specifically the details of the transom portion of the window unit. Figure. 14 is a cross-sectional view in perspective partially broken away corresponding to the upper portion of the cross sectional view of Figure 5.

Referring now to Figure 1, we have here shown a corner of a building constructed of masonry and having a steel frame -work in which at least four types of window units arranged in pilaster formation as shown, the four various types being, as is clear, usable in the same building and comprising similar elements which are interchangeable with each other. unit l comprises a single sliding sash and a balancing member Htl. The window unit comprises a sliding sash 2l but is not provided with the balancing grill or guard. The window unit is similar to the window unit |U showing a modified form of balancing grill or guard l2 but has mounted thereover and interposed between it and the window unit I9, the transom arrangement 4). The window unit 53 is exactly similar in every respect to the window unit 2! but has mounted thereover and has interposed between it and the window unit 2i) the transom arrangement 60. The various constructions will be obvious in the succeeding drawings.

It will, of course, be noted that any description of the window unit 3U will embrace a description of the window unit Il? since the only difference between the two is the existence of the transom and the formation of the balancing member or grill.

The window unit 30 as seen in cross-sectional View of Figure 2 and in the front view of Figure 4 and the additional cross-sectional view of Figures 5, 6 and 10, comprises the sliding sash which slides outside the spandrel |00 and below the fioor level |0I. In this case the window construction is particularly adapted for use in masonry and masonry steel constructions.

The masonry wall |02 may comprise a wall of any desired thickness. The spandrel formed of masonry and recessed sufciently to provide for the sliding of the sash and the grill in front of it. The wall and spandrel may, where desired, be of a thickness and construction to conform with the re underwriters regulations relating to fireproof or re resistant constructions.

In order by the use of a single sliding sash to obtain the full venting of the window opening, the window sash is arranged to slide below the oor line |fl| or even below the ceiling line, so that the sill |03 will be at the appropriate level for the window. The window unit itself, as seen in Figures 2, 4, 5 and 6 comprises vertical .lambs |04. These vertical jambs are preferably .1:

of channel formation having flanges |05 and |95, the said flanges being spaced from each other a distance equal preferably to the width of one brick so that `a line of bricks may be received therebetween as shown particularly in Figure 2 and so that the vertical jamb may thus be integrated with the building structure. The size of jamb may, of course, be altered for particular purposes and the flanges thereof may be of any appropriate distance apart. Each of the vertical f;

jambs |84 comprises an extruded or formed vertical rail G1 upon which the window sash I may ride. The rail or lguide for the sash or for the grill (hereinafter mentioned) may also corn,- prise grooves in the jamb or any other suitable means for guiding the sash.

Where the grill or guard l2 is used, then each of the vertical studs |64 also comprises an outer guide |98 for the grill. Where the grill l2 is Thus the window L used, it is preferably so Weighted and balanced that it will counterbalance the window sash thus providing a counterweight or balancing means so that the window requires no other counterweighting or balancing means and no housing therefor. When, as is seen at of Figure l, the window sash is lowered, then the grill l2 will rise into the opening, thus protecting any opening that may be formed by the lowering of the sash while at the same time counterweighting or counterbalancing the window. The cross members or muntins IUS of the grill may be shaped and arranged to correspond to the members dening the panes of the sash so that from the interior of the building no unsual or unpleasant formation is disclosed. When the window sash is therefore completely lowered and the grill in place across the opening, the grill will present no other appearance than that of the sash itself were the window closed and should be formed for that purpose. The grill need not necessarily have cross bars but, as shown at 99 of Figure 1, may simply comprise a U-shaped member consisting only of the vertical bars I0 provided with grooves for sliding on the rail |08 and a base or bottom bar Il I for interconnecting the vertical bars ||0 to hold them in engagement with the track. In such case the grill of the counterweight need never come into view as far as the interior of the building is concerned. In fact, a shield or cover may be applied in front of the spandrel |89 and lying in front of the grill I2 and the sash whereby the grlll will lie in a pocket between the shield and the spandrel when the window sash is raised and will not come into view until the window sash is lowered. In this case, the sash also drops in back of said shield when it is lowered and will not be seen from the exterior of the building.

As shown in Figure 2, an additional permanently located cross-bar or bars may be mounted between the jambs at the Upper part of the vented portion of the window to provide for full protection where the grill l2 is used; the said bar protecting the opening when the sash is partially lowered and the grill therefore not yet in place.

Where the U-shaped counterweight or grill such as that shown at 99 in Figure 1 is used, then the arrangement thereof will preclude the necessity for any part of the grill being visible except the vertical bars which can be arranged to ilmulate the similar portions of the sliding sash A head stop ||2 may be supported between the jambs or studs |94. The head stop ||2 as is seen in Figures 2, 5 and l2 preferably comprises a hollow metallic member having a hollowed portion H3 and an inclined upper surface H4, the said inclined upper surface ||4 providing for any necessary drainage that may be required above the window sash. The hollow head stop l2 comprises a pocket 5 on the under surface thereof to receive the top rail HS of the window sash. The pocket |5 and the top rail |6 of the window sash may be suitably weather stripped to provide an appropriate weather seal at that point. The hollow portion I3 may be used as a screen housing, or a mounting for spring suspension for the window sash or for any other suitable purpose. It should be noted that both the lambs and the head stop may therefore preferably be metallic in construction to provide for re resisting constructlon. The window sash itself may be formed in any suitable manner and as is seen in Figure 9 comprises vertical members H1 with metallic channel flanging members I8 secured to the vertical member ||1 by means of the screws ||9 or by nuts and screws or in any other suitable manner. .The arrangement of the flanges I I8 and the vertical member ||1 is such as to provide a pocket or groove |20 along the vertical edge of the window sash. This pocket or groove |20 is arranged to ride upon the rail |01 of the stud |04. Any sui-table weather stripping or weather sealing arrangement may be provided ybetween the pocket or groove |20 4and the rail |01 in order that a suitable weather seal may be formed.

The window sash construction itself and the arrangement of the panes of the window may take any standard formation. It may have verticalvmuntins, horizontal muntins, a single pane (glazed on the inside or outside of the members) or a plurality of panes; or it may comprise double glazed panes forming insulating or d-ead air spaces; and the members may be formed of metal or other construction to harmonize with the remainder of the window unit.

With the increased importance of humidied heating systems, it becomes increasingly important to protect the rooms so controlled from heat loss due to low heat insulation which normally tends to exist particularly at the window sashes. When the temperature diierential between the outside and the inner space becomes sufficiently large or becomes close to the dew point, there is considerable loss of air moisture due to condensation at the cold metals of the window sash.

We have provided a conductivity break -between the two parts of our sash which will materially decrease the heat conductivity and thereby reduce any tendency to condensation.

The particular construction of the horizontal muntins |2| shown in Figures 2 and 5 lends itself readily to the double glazed construction wherein the outer panes |22, as in Figures 9 and 10 are permanently affixed in place by any suitable means |23 and wherein the inner panes |24 are mounted in individual frames which may be inserted against the rabbet |25 of the vertical edge of the window and the rabbet |26 of the horizontal muntins.

'I'he removable pane |24 may be suitably weather stripped -by means of rubber or any other -suitable construction as at |21, Figure 9, to provide for air sealing of the space |20 between the I two panes and to -prevent Vibration of the pane |24. The additional pane |24 may be held in place in any suitable manner such as by the mains disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 256,430, filed February 15, 1939. The bottom of the sash as is seen in Figure 10 comprises a rail |30 having weather stripping |3| attached to the undersurface thereof in any suitable manner and supported by the flat member |32 held in place by, for instance, the screw The sill |34 of this form comprises a metallic channel shaped member, the flanges 35, |35 thereof -being spaced apart a sucient distance to provide a level sill surface |31, the said sill |34 also having a rabbet |3611 against which the weather strip |3| may abut to provide a suitable weather seal.

As is seen in Figures 2 and 3, the flange |35 of the sill |34 or of the preferred form of sill hereinafter described may be engaged by the flange |38 of an L-shaped member which in turn may be engaged and held between the bricks |38 and |390, and other bricks comprising a similar layer. A suitable facing strip or sill of ornamental appearance may -be provid-ed above the bricks |39 and |40a and other similarly arranged bricks.

As is seen in Figures 5, '1 and 8, the window sash is supported on each side thereof by tapes |40 which are attached at upper corners of the sash Il, pass over the rotating pulley |4| and are then connected to the upper corners of the grill guard or counterweight 2.

As will be clear from Figure '1, the tapes ride at against and are protected by the rails |01 and |08. 'I'he top of the grill I2 (cf. Figures 7 and 9) may consist of a solid metallic member |42 having a rabbeted portion |43. A flat plate |44 may be removably mounted in place by the screw |45 for the purpose of forming a groove |46 to hold the grill or guard upon the rail |08. The tape may be fastened on the interior side of the plate |44, at for instance, the point |41. The opposite end of the tape may be fastened on the inner side of the ilange 8 of the window sash |l.

As is seen in Figure 14, the pulley |4| may be mounted within the hollow space ||3 of the head stop ||2 and in cut out portions of the rails |01 and |08. The tape thus passes through slots in the under surface of the head stop ||2. The placement of the tape |40 behind the rails |01 and |03 serves to protect the tape from damage and adverse influences of the weather, thus serving to prolong the life thereof.

The pulleys may also be placed at or in the sill and the tape then fastened to the lower corners of the sash and grill.

By the various constructions herein described, it thus becomes obvious that complicated eX- pensive and space consuming weight boxes are no longer required in a window of this type, that a single sash may be used sliding outside the spandrel and below the sill, floor, or even ceiling line to provide full opening for the window and to permit the utilization of the entire window opening for venting. The grill or guard which also serves to counterweight or counterbalance the sashmay be ornamentally shaped or formed so as to provide protection for the window opening when the window sash is lowered. The said grill or guard may also be so arranged or formed that it will not be in view from the interior of the room at any time; that is, when the top-rail and intervening muntins of the guard are removed so that the remaining construction has the appearance shown at 99 of Figure 1, then the grill or guard becomes merely a counterweight which need never be in a View from the interior of the building.

The appearance of the structure may, if desired, be enhanced by the addition of ,a shield outside the spandrel forming a pocket for both the grill and the sash when either of these are lowered and serving to conceal either of these members except when they are actually in the window opening; proper provision being made for draining said pocket.

The window unit itself,by reason of the fact that all portions thereof are supported by the jambs and further by reason of the fact that the studs may be reinforced with structural steel, suitably channeied and arranged, is selfsupporting and may be made to serve also to support adjacent or superjacent windows.

By this construction windows may be arranged in pilaster formation without other provision for support of any kind therefor. Since this window is so readily arranged and adaptablel for use in connection with masonry construction,

desired an ordinary 16" wall may be utilized in connection therewith. Variations may be made in the thickness of the wall or the thickness of the spandrel or the arrangement of any other portion of the building wall, the window unit being so arranged that it may be used in connection with any type of wall since the jambs themselves may be formed with a single flange setting in the joint between two bricks and therefore our system can be used in an 8" brick wall. The sill support and weather stripping as hereinbefore and hereinafter pointed out may also be arranged to engage the width of a single brick so that spandrels of any thickness, even of a single brick, may be constructed. The jambs may be of various formations, within the spirit of this invention and may be arranged to be set directly in the joint between two bricks so as to place the plane of spandrel and sliding sash in any desired relationship with the exterior or interior wall line of the building. The jamb-s may, as herein described, be connected to each other or spaced from each other as desired.

The sill |34 and the bottom rail |30 of the window unit may be constructed in the manner shown in Figure 10 to provide for a Weather seal thereat; or, as is shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, the bottom rail |30 may have an extruded lange |50 comprising a pocket having suitable weather stripping material |5| therein, and the sill member |54 may comprise a flange |52 also suitably weather stripped, if desired, and adapted to be engaged within the pocket IEI and thus providing a weather seal in this particular arrangement.

The jambs or studs of the window units may, as is for instance seen in Figure 12, be so arranged as to facilitate the placement of one window unit directly upon the other without any complicated interconnected means being required therefor. The sash of one window unit may, where desired or necessary, even be caused to slide down upon the rail of the jamb of the window unit below.

While Figure 12 shows a modified type of construction for the window sash wherein no counterweight or grill is used and wherein only one rail is used upon the jamb, nevertheless the arrangement for placing one window unit on top of another is the same for this construction as in the construction hereinbefore described. As seen therefore in Figure 2 or 12, the top portion of the jamb or stud |04 or 202 is so arranged that it will receive the bottom of the superjacent stud |0411 or 202a. In other words, the top end of each jamb or stud is crimped sufficiently so that it may slide within the bottom of the superjacent stud and thus cooperate therewith to form a shingled, telescopic joint and continuous jamb and guide rail for supporting the window unit placed above and for that matter for supporting any pilaster of window units placed above. The top end of the jamb or stud may if desired, be suitably crimped at a point a short distance removed from the top end thereof to engage the end of the jamb or stud above and prevent any additional sliding of the upper stud over the lower one and provide telescopic adjustment and weather :dashed joint. In this way, windows in pilaster formation may be built into a masonry wall. Where such window units are to be constructed by mass production methods, it is usually convenient to construct such Windows in standard size; that is at least to maintain regularity of vertical dimension.

In the constructions of buildings of various kinds, however, there are variations in story heights. Thus, for example, the lowest door of most buildings usually has a higher ceiling level than that of the iloors above. For this reason suitable provision should be made for variations in building height. When variations, as for instance, between the lower story and the upper stories are material, then a transom construction, such as that shown at 30 or 50 of Figure 1, and shown more specically in Figures 2, 6 and '7 may be used. The transom, as is seen in these gures, is supported upon a jamb or stud exactly equivalent in cross-section to the jamb or studs |04 and |0l|a but of a suitable length to provide for differences of height where the stories are not of the same height and therefore usually of a much smaller length than that of the studs |04 and |04a. The said jamb or stud |60 is mounted in the jamb or stud |04 below in the same manner as any superjacent jamb, for instance |04a, of a superjacent window unit might be mounted in a jamb or stud of the window unit below and the jamb support of the superjacent window unit is mounted in the upper portion of the jamb |60 in the same manner as it would be mounted in the jamb of a window unit below.

The jamb or stud |60 therefore serves essentially as a spacer element between the vertically adjacent window units to provide for variations in iloor height. Such studs may be made of any suitable length and may contain a short, opaque spandrel, similar to the spandrel |00, therebetween or actually a continuation of the spandrel |00 of the window unit above where there is only a slight difference in story height. Where, however a relatively substantial dilerence, such as 18" or more exists between the height of one story and another, then the small jamb or studs |60 may have the transom construction 00 mounted therebetween. The said transom construction comprises a channelshaped base rail |5| mounted between the jamb studs |00 and suitably arranged and sloped at |62 to rest upon the upper surface ||4 of the head stop l2 below.

The upwardly extending iiange |03 of the surface IH! provides for a simple engagement with the channel member IBI and also provides for insertion of a suitable weather seal at that point. A transom or hinged member, Figures 4 and 7, is attached to the channel member ISI by hinge |04 which engages the flange |65 of the bottom rail of the transom. The transom may be constructed in a manner similar to that of the window sash and may comprise a bottom rail |65, a top rail |61, and vertical members |68 (see also Figure 13), producing thereby as described hereinabove, a conductivity break between the inner and outer sections of the sash. The said transom may also be constructed to be non-Ventilating and/or opaque. The transom 40 may either be double glazed or single glazed in the same manner as the sash The bottom rail |66 of the transom preferably carries a groove |10 therein which will register with an extruded or formed channel |1| of the upper surface of the supporting channel IGI. Suitable weather stripping or other weather sealing means may be applied at this point. The groove |10 must, however, be of such width as to permit the outer flange |12 of the transom to slide over the extruded portion |1| when the transom is swung back on the hinge.

The transom may be locked in place against its head stop |13 by any suitable latch means and may be held in predetermined vented position in any suitable manner usually applied to transoms. An appropriate weather seal may be provided at |14, it being obvious of course that the top rail |81 of the transom cannot be received in a pocket such as that provided for the top rail of the sash below since the transom does not slide in a vertical plane but is rather hinged to permit its being turned towards the interior of the room.

It will of course be understood that the transom need not necessarily be provided above each Window unit nor need it necessarily be provided wherever an additional space is required between one window unit and the one above but that the transom may be used in order to avoid a relatively high unlighted area immediately above the window and below the ceiling line, that is it becomes extremely useful where stories may differ in their heights.

The window unit of the type shown at 20 and 50 of Figure 1 are not counterweighted or counterbalanced by any weight mechanism and therefore no grill or guard or counterweight such as that used in connection with window I is shown, but rather we prefer to follow the positive drive or suspension means illustrated in part in our copending application Serial No. 256,430, filed February 15, 1939, such drive being manual, mechanical, electrical or a combination as desired.

Various adaptations of said positive drive will, of course, be possible. In the construction shown for instance in Figure 3, only a single rail 20| is required on the jamb or stud 202 and jamb or stud however is used and operates in exactly the same manner as the jamb or stud |04 of Figures 2 and 5. That is, the top of each stud is formed to receive the bottom of the stud of the superjacent window and the bottom of each of the studs 202 is formed to rest in the top of the stud below. The stud 202 is mounted in the building wall in exactly the same manner as is hereinbefore described, and connected in the eld when desired by screws or bolts or by any suitable means which will also maintain the proper abutting relationship. The only diilerence between the construction shown in Figure 3 and that previously described is that the grill or counterweight is dispensed with if desired and a positive drive of one type or another is provided. One form of positive drive is that shown in Figure 3 wherein a cable 203 is attached by any suitable means to the bottom rail 204 of the window sash 205. The cable then passes over the pulley 206 located in the sill, the said pulley projecting slightly beyond the face of the sill so that the pull on the cable will always be vertical. The pulley 206 changes the direction of the cable 203 whereby the cable is led over the pulley 201 to the wind-up drum 200. The wind-up drum 208 may be driven by any of the driving mechanisms disclosed in our abovementioned copending application and may be locked in place by the ratchet mechanism therein shown. That is, an 4ordinary handle may be used to wind the drum, or the handle may be connected by gears to the drum or an electric operator may be connected to the'drun with the safety stop mechanism shown in our above-mentioned copending application..

Likewise as shown in Figure 3, a highratio worm drive 209 may be used between the handle and the drum, whereby the cable may be wound up by means of the handle and whereby a relatively short handle may be used since a suicient mechanical advantage is provided by the ratio between the gear and the worm. The dropping of the sash of its own weight will then be resisted not by a ratchet arrangement but by the friction in the worm drive, particularly when the worm drive is of a high ratio and thus is enabled to resist any reverse pull thereon. It will thus be necessary to turn the handle 2 0 in one direction to raise the window sash and in an opposite direction to lower the same.

Where the window sash is'of great weight, then excessive strain maybe placed upon the cable or upon any of the drive mechanism that might be used or upon the drive or upon any electrical drive or upon any ratchet or brake mechanism that might `be used to maintain the window sash at a predetermined level.

To facilitate the operation oi the window sash, the sash may be mounted or suspended from a spring balance preferably mounted in the sill, the spring balance being connected by suitable tapes or cables to the bottom rail of the sash. Ii desired, the spring balance may be mounted in the head-stop and connected to the top of the sash. The spring balance may be adjusted to eliminate all but 10 to 20 pounds of the actual weight of the sash so that the sash may be raised or lowered in the same manner as if it were supported only by the cable and operator. The spring balance may be mounted in the intermediate sill 2| I, Figure 3, or in pockets formed in the spandrel 2|2 or arranged in any suitable manner at the level of sill 2| the spring balance thus being connected by suitable tapes or cables to the bottom rail of the window sash, thus reducing the weight of the sash falling on the cable and operator.

Various other arrangements of the transom section hereinbefore described may be made. Thus, for instance, it may be mounted below sill 2| l, Figure 3, where the unit cannot extend below the floor line, thus providing a normal sill height for the window, and suilcient room for the sliding sash to drop clear of the window opening, giving full vent. Where the transom section is thus mounted below sill level, it may be a stationary or hinged transom opened at will.

The window unit need not necessarily comprise long as it is directly over the sliding sash section. When the unit is placed in its proper position, said head-stop will then be in its proper relation to the ceiling lines of the building; in other Words, the units can be manufactured in various combinations without regard to the story heights or oor levels of the building in which they are to be used and may be joined at any point between or at floor levels.

Many other means for counterweighting the sash or balancing the sash may also be used. Many other types of drives may be used, all within the spirit of the disclosures and the invention herein described. We prefer therefore 

